Darth Vader driver feels the force of motorway police

A traffic police officer on the M621 in West Yorkshire was given a shock after seeing a car with Darth Vader on the roof drive up behind him today.

The black VW Polo, decorated with brightly-coloured balls, socks and spray-paint, with a full-size skeleton sitting in the passenger seat and a Jolly Roger flag flying overhead, was spotted at 9.30am south of Leeds.

The car’s driver, representing local charity Candlelighters, was lost on his way to Halifax and after being pointed in the right direction was sent on his way without being given a ticket.

West Yorkshire Police’s road policing unit later posted pictures of the vehicle, which had a full-size Darth Vader mannequin sitting on a gun turret on the roof, on its twitter feed @WYP_RPU, adding: “We used the force and the Dark Side has been stopped!”

Pc David Robson of West Yorkshire Police said: “The car came up behind the traffic car. He thought ‘what is this’ and pulled him over to have a word.

“Apparently he was lost and was trying to find his way to Halifax. His co-passenger was not much good as a navigator.”

According to its website, Candlelighters is a Yorkshire-based charity “formed and run by parents of children who have or have had cancer, ex-patients and the medical staff who treat them”.